GORHAM, Maine -- On Thursday, May 27, senior Adela Kalilwa (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston) and junior Sophia Slovenski (Cape Neddick, Maine/Phillips Academy) will begin competition in the 2021 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field championships in Greensboro, N.C. Both athletes are returners to the NCAA championships, Kalilwa competing previously in the triple jump, long jump, and 4x100m relay, and Slovenski in the javelin. In a spectacular spring season, Kalilwa and Slovenski each picked up two individual victories at the 2021 LEC championships to help the Huskies win their 20th title in 24 years. Both Kalilwa and Slovenski earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors this spring, Kalilwa in the long jump and triple jump and Slovenski in the javelin and pole vault, and will look to add to their successful seasons this weekend.
Adela Kalilwa- Triple jump and long jump:
A three-time All-American and three-sport student- athlete (women's soccer, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field), Kalilwa is set to compete in the triple jump and long jump at the upcoming 2021 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field championships. Kalilwa enters the meet seeded 11th in the long jump and 10th in the triple jump. This season, Kalilwa claimed both the long jump and triple jump titles at the Little East Conference championships, the fourth and fifth individual conference titles of her career. With three All-American honors under her belt, Kalilwa will have the opportunity this weekend to surpass Huskies' alumna Peyton Dostie, who currently holds the mark for the most All-American honors, earning four in her career.
As a member of the women's soccer team, Kalilwa, a Health Science major, ranks seventh in program history for goals and sixth for points in a single season.
Sophia Slovenski- Javelin:
On the heels of two individual titles at the 2021 Little East championship, Slovenski will compete in the javelin this weekend at the 2021 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field championships. An All-American in the event at the 2019 championships, Slovenski is seeded third with a mark of 44.60m, a personal best and school record. In the 2019 championship, Slovenski finished third, just behind Brooke France of Pacific and Veronica Montane of Johns Hopkins, who are seeded sixth and eleventh, respectively, in this year's meet.
A three-sport student-athlete in volleyball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, Slovenski, an Exercise Science major, participated in the Maine Girls & Women in Sports Committee panel titled Voices of Women in Sport: Empowering Girls for Life earlier this year. She has also been selected to attend the upcoming NCAA Career in Sport Forum.
How to Watch: Fans can head over to the NCAA D3 Track & Field Championships page for live results and a livestream throughout the meet. Slovenski will compete Thursday in the Javelin at 4:00pm ET, while Kalilwa will compete in the long jump at 5:00pm ET, and in the triple jump on Saturday at 2:00pm ET. Fans can also stay up to date by following USM athletics on instagram @southernmainehuskie and on twitter @usmhuskies.
